Centralized Utility Systems Hinder Evolution

Centralized Utility Systems Hinder Evolution

2012-03-12T15:29:29+00:00March 12th, 2012|

When a municipality invests tax revenues into a centralized utility system such as a water facility, a sewage treatment plant or a power plant; they employ the latest technology of the time and spend millions of dollars to design and build the facility.

In addition to the great expense, the process of manifesting a centralized utility takes several years. Due to the great expense of both time and money, this facility will have to serve for at least fifty years. This means that, even though new technology may arrive on the scene, they are locked into the facility they have built for fifty years. This places a fifty year time increment on feedback, knowledge, reconstruction and resulting evolution.

Bacteria and virus are some of the most powerful and effective creatures on the planet. This is due to their ability to evolve in very small time increments. They are usually very simple one (or few) celled creatures. This simplicity allows them to multiply, grow and evolve in a matter of days rather than years. These creatures are rapidly evolving immunity to existing antibiotics as we speak. The ability to evolve to changing conditions quickly is a key to survival. While bacteria and virus evolve in a matter of days, centralized, massive utility systems cause humans to evolve in fifty year increments. On a planet that is constantly changing on its own and whose change is being destabilized by out of control population explosion and illogical living methods of humans; who is going to have the better chance at survival? Will it be the simple creatures who evolve in a matter of days or the humans who have locked themselves into a fifty year evolution cycle?

Individual homes that contain their own utilities inherent in their design can be built in a matter of months. New homes are started and completed every day. This means the concept of decentralized utilities which are inherent in individual homes elicits daily feedback, knowledge, reconstruction and resulting evolution. This alone is enough of an argument to encourage simple individual decentralized utilities versus massive centralized systems.

Another argument that speaks for itself is that decentralized utilities can completely eliminate the expensive and invasive web of wires and pipes that currently deliver centralized utilities.

In the future, there will be security in decentralized living methods. This security will make us as strong as bacteria and virus.

Authors

About Earthship Biotecture

Earthship Biotecture is based in Taos, New Mexico, and has been providing humans with the tools necessary to sustain themselves and the planet for over 45 years. By using carbon-zero technology in building plans and integrating all systems with food production, our designs are the first truly sustainable, independent models on the market today. We able to construct comfortable units in any climate made primarily out of natural and recycled materials.

Earthship construction drawings are designed to meet standard building code requirements so you can get a permit no matter where you are. Earthship Biotecture is beyond LEED Architecture. Earthships are green buildings that meet standard building codes. EarthshipBiotecture is based on the work of principal architect, Michael Reynolds. (see: media resume)